Gardening

[MadameH]

Please can anyone give me their experience of spraying fence
preservatives, rather than brushing them on? By next weekend we will
have 140ft of new 6ft high fence (which will have been pressure
treated but in a rather orangey shade). Some years ago I painted the
old fence in Cuprinol Garden Shades (willow colour). It improved the
backdrop to the herbaceous border considerably (and, I think,
prolonged the life of the fence quite a bit.) The only downside was
that it took ages to apply with a brush (and boy did my arm ache by
the end!) I now see that this stuff can be applied with a spray. If I
believe the marketing hype, it will be much quicker and easier to
apply; but reviews on-line seem are very mixed, ranging from five
stars-best thing ever, to no stars- don't touch it with a bargepole!
If anyone on here has any experience of spraying rather painting their
fence with this stuff I'd be grateful to hear it. (Have decided to go
for "Wild Thyme" colour this time!)

[Sparkles]

I have used a spray and it was probably quicker than doing the whole
thing with a brush, but it wasn't quite as easy as they show on the
adverts!

[MadameH]

Haha nothing ever is! Thanks for that Teresa.

[CarolB was MNKB]

Just think Claire, the exercise those arms will get and you be minus
Bingo Wings in the future. So do it my hand. LOL

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[MadameH]

Yes I'm thinking that doing it by hand is the way to go - plug in my
ipod and zone out for a while!

[Cally]

I an afrad that painting the varnish is quicker than spraying for a
fence. I have sprayed garden chairs and it is fine but it certainly
gives my finger joints a wake up call with all that repetitive
squeezing! Did the big dog kennel with a brush though. :-)

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[kriz]

I;ve painted and sprayed,and you get a better even coverage by uisng a
brush.
Although a little more expensive initially it is better in the long
run if you get a waterproof stain (something like Ducksback). It lasts
longer and looks better. The cheaper fence stains need more coats,
don't last as long and still look a little thin and watered down when
they dry

[CarolB was MNKB]

My Lovely Dahlia's (which some of you may have seen on FaceBook) have
been taken by the Frost. :-(

[Pippa Cotton]

Anyone know the best way to sprinkle ash on compost heap?

[Pippa Cotton]

Claire I synpathise I have painted a shed and a fence. Not sure what
to suggest but spray provided you prepare must be quicker.
The colour you have picked sounds lovely. Ask advice in the garden
centre?

[Jeannie]

We have started to clear up some of the leaves in the garden with the
help of a jobbing gardener and a huge leave blower!
The garden is surrounded by huge old trees (many of them coniferous)
but the others drop their leaves and we literally have huge layers to
clear up.
I still have some bulbs to pot up too - don't know where the time
goes, but go it does!

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[MadameH]

Ah Jeannie, leaves!! As well as our own trees our road is lined with
100 year old plane trees and at this time of the year our front garden
is knee deep in their leaves. They take years to rot down so I don't
add them to my leaf pile or compost bins. We are limited to 4 bags of
garden rubbish for our kerb-side collection (which I manage to fill
without the council's leaves!) so getting rid of them is a bit of a
nuisance to say the least. I have so far resisted buying a leaf blower
though, I like to think that sweeping them up is good for my waist!
And the good thing about yesterday's gales is that the leaves have
been blown up into piles against the hedges this morning.

[Jules]

Leaves. *sighs*

I've just been to the garden centre for a leaf blower, and they have
none. This is the only time when I am regretting sacking the
gardeners; they liked doing the leaves. Our horse chestnut gave up
its last a while back, the limes have dropped theirs but I'm still
waiting for the oaks to shake theirs off. Even in the winds of the
last couple of days, they're resisting! At least the wind did blow
the leaves off the gravel, which makes it look a bit better, but I'm
reckoning some leaf action in the next week or so. I am looking for a
Stihl, the king of leaf blowers, I believe.

I think raking is good work to do, but not on the gravel drive, as
it'll look a bit bald! Mind you, we have soooo many acorns this year
that the gravel looks better in patches than it has done in ages!

[Sue]

Jules - I get my son to use the mower on the leaves on the grass!

[Jules]

I've found the leaf blower to 'die for' apparently! Anyway, off to buy
one later today from another garden centre while they're still on
offer.

We don't own a lawnmower, Sue, else I might just have had a go at that
one!

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